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The 6 Best Home Coffee Roasters Of 2024

We roasted our way through 5 pounds of coffee beans in order to find the perfect coffee roaster on the market today. After testing out 17 different models and narrowing it down to 5 top contenders, we’re confident in recommending the FreshRoast SR500 as the best home coffee roaster  for most coffee drinkers.

Table Of Contents

The 6 Best Home Coffee Roasters

About Coffee Roasters

True coffee enthusiasts understand the importance of having a quality coffee bean roaster at home. If you’re after legitimately tasty home-brewed coffee, one of the easiest mistakes you can make is using cheap roasters for preparing coffee beans, or buying pre-roasted beans in the first place. This simply won’t deliver the result you want and will leave you with a cup of coffee that’s… underwhelming, to say the least.

One of the biggest advantages of having your very own coffee roaster at home is that you can prepare coffee exactly to your liking. Not only will you get full control over the coffee blend, you will also be able to get it at its freshest and richest taste.

To be totally honest, a basic popcorn maker is cheap and can do the job of roasting coffee beans if you are just starting out. But if you really want to get into the art of coffee, a dedicated coffee roaster is the best way to go. To help you along the way, I’ve compiled a list of the best home coffee roasters on the market today as well as a quick and detailed review of each. This list is based on our team’s extensive testing in addition to third party opinions and reviews.

Our Top 6 Picks Reviewed

Now that you have an idea of the important factors to look for when it comes to thermal carafes, it is time to further nudge you towards the right direction and give you a list of the most popular models on the market today. These 5 models are the cream of the crop as far as we’re concerned, based on our extensive testing process as well as third-party feedback from other consumers.

1. Fresh Roast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster

fresh roast sr500

Quick Specs

Capacity 4 Oz / 90 Grams
Roast Time 6 – 10 Minutes
Energy 1500w / 110v
Dimensions 6 x 6 x 13 inches

Pros

  • Compact and lightweight.
  • Quite affordable for a quality coffee roaster.
  • Quiet
  • User-friendly operation.

Cons

  • Limited roasting capacity (90 grams or 4 oz)
  • Lacks the smoke reduction system. You should place this near the window.
  • You will need to operate the fan at max setting to properly roast all coffee beans.

Once you have decided to level up your popcorn toaster to an actual coffee bean roaster then the Fresh Roast SR500 is one of the best choices available to you. Not only does it produce quality roasted coffee bean, the SR500 is a lightweight and affordable coffee roaster that will not break the bank.

This is a highly recommended coffee roaster for beginners. It is an air roaster and utilizes convection heating to prepare your coffee beans. The compact nature of the roaster also means it won’t take up much space in your kitchen. I also found the Fresh Roast SR500 to be extremely quiet, one of the quietest coffee roasters, in fact.

In terms of user-friendliness, the SR500 is simple and easy to use with a 3-level setting for roasting, buttons that control roasting duration, and a fan adjustment dial for convection heating. As for the capacity of the Fresh Roast SR500, you can roast about 120 grams of coffee beans in one go. Roasting the coffee bean is relatively quick and clocks in at 9 minutes tops. You might want to do a couple of batches though if you plan on storing enough to last a week.

 

2. NESCO CR-1010-PR Coffee Bean Roaster

nesco cr-1010-pr

Quick Specs

Capacity 1/3 lb of beans
Roast Time Around 20 minutes
Power 800w / 120v
Dimensions 13 x 9 x 12 inches

Pros

  • Affordable coffee roaster.
  • Catalytic converter removes most of the smoke produced during the roasting process.
  • Auger screw keeps coffee beans moving inside the chamber ensuring you get an even result during roasting.

Cons

  • Cooldown takes 5 minutes and cannot handle darker roasts.
  • Longer roasting time at 20 minutes + 5 minutes cooldown

The NESCO CR-1010-PRO is similar to the Fresh Roast SR500 in that they are both air roaster that uses convection heating for roasting coffee beans. The main difference though is that the NESCO CR-1010-PRO features a nifty catalytic converter which does away with most of the smoke that is produced during the roasting process.

The NESCO also ensures that the coffee beans continue moving inside the chamber during the roasting process with the help of an auger screw. The screw spins and mixes the coffee beans inside to make sure that every coffee bean is roasted evenly and preventing some of the coffee beans from being burnt.

It does take a bit longer to process coffee beans with this model though. It will normally take around 25 minutes (cooldown included which takes 5 minutes). If you prefer light roast then this will help you achieve that result. However, those who prefer darker coffee bean roast will find the cooldown duration to not be fast enough to produce the desired result.

The NESCO CR-1010-PRO has a coffee bean capacity of 150 grams or 5 Oz. This is an efficient coffee roaster and while it takes longer, it manages to provide consistency in the roasting process.

 

3. Fresh Roast SR340 Coffee Bean Roaster

fresh roast sr340

Quick Specs

Capacity 5 Oz
Roast Time 6 Minutes
Power 1600w / 120v
Dimensions 14.4 x 8.5 x 8.4 inches

Pros

  • A fast roasting process which we clocked in at 14 minutes with cooldown included.
  • Affordable price tag.

Cons

  • No smoke suppression system, place this near windows.

Need an upgrade from your Fresh Roast SR300? The SR340 should deliver what you need. Quite similar to other SR series when it comes to the control scheme, the SR340, on the other hand, comes with fan speed control for controlling the roast cycle.

Coffee beans are at their heaviest during the start of the roasting process so I suggest you put the fan speed to its max setting during this period. You can slow it down once the coffee beans start to roast and become lighter.

The SR340 has a coffee bean processing capacity of 120 grams, similar to the SR500. However, the SR340 does have a setting for its temperature that you can adjust if you wish to increase the heat or have it cool down whenever you want during the roasting.

The SR340 is another entry-level coffee roaster at a more affordable price tag than the SR500 but is considerably bulkier in design.

 

4. Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roster

nuvo eco ceramic

Quick Specs

Capacity 30g – 70g
Roast Time 6 – 12 Minutes
Power
Dimensions 10 x 6.5 x 3 inches

Pros

  • Well-made ceramic construction.
  • Environment-friendly.
  • Great for use during camping trips.

Cons

  • You will need a stove or an open flame.

Looking for an eco-friendly coffee maker? The Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roaster is definitely the one you are looking for. This coffee roaster is made from quality ceramic and cowhide. It is used together with a stove or with an open fire.

A completely environment-friendly option that also produces some pretty good results. The Nuvo Eco Coffee Maker has amazing insulation due to the materials it is made from. It is also quite cheap and is a great choice for people who want to keep things simple and traditional. It is also a great option for roasting coffee beans during outdoor trips like camping and hiking.

 

5. KALDI Motorized Coffee Roaster WIDE Model

kaldi wide

Quick Specs

Capacity 300g (.5 lb)
Roast Time Depends
Power Depends
Dimensions 460 x 170 x 370mm

Pros

  • It only has a few parts so maintenance is significantly easier.
  • Allows full control during the roasting process thanks to the temperature probe.
  • High-quality construction and beautiful design.

Cons

  • Requires an external propane burner.

The KALDI WIDE lives up to its name with its ½ lbs. coffee bean roasting capacity. This size might make it a tad too big for personal home use but makes it a perfect choice if you have a café or small restaurant. It is also reasonably priced which further makes it a great choice for startup restaurant business owners.

The KALDI WIDE has an urbane designed and stainless-steel construction making it quite nice to look at as well.  It utilizes a drum that spins coffee beans inside for an even roasting process that can be completed within 15 minutes.

It also comes with a chaff holder and a temperature gauge probe that should allow you to better control the coffee blend. However, keep in mind that the KALDI WIDE will require a propane burner to operate. If you have a gas stove ready with a dedicated burner ready to be used, the KALDI WIDE might be as good a choice as you can get.

 

6. Nuvo Classic Design Eco-Friendly Coffee Bean Handy Roaster

nuvo classic

Quick Specs

Capacity 50g – 70g
Roast Time 6 – 10 Minutes
Power
Dimensions 14.2 x 4.2 x 2.7 inches

Pros

  • Simple, easy, and eco-friendly coffee roaster.
  • Lightweight construction makes it ideal for camping trips.
  • Traditional coffee preparation at its finest.

Cons

  • Not as precise as electric coffee roasters.
  • Can only roast a few ounces at a time.

Nuvo once again makes an appearance in this list despite being a traditional coffee roaster, which is a testimony to how efficient this roaster is. Made from high-quality ceramic and aluminum material, it is amazingly lightweight while still feeling quite sturdy.

Intricately handcrafted, the Nuvo Classic Coffee Bean Handy Roaster has a genuine leather finish and Beechtree wood for the handle. You can place the coffee beans on a lid located at the top of the Nuvo coffee roaster. The air and heat circulation inside is balanced and will give you an even roast result.

Similar to the Nuvo Eco Ceramic, the Nuvo Classic is a great companion for camping trips. While not as beautifully designed as its counterpart, the Nuvo Classic does its job perfectly well and can give you a fresh and flavorful coffee nonetheless.

Conclusion

Coffee roasters come in all shapes and sizes. As you can see from the list above, there are several kinds to choose from. Some offer a more intricate process while others keep it simple. What coffee do you prefer and where will you be doing most of the roasting process? Answer those questions and you will inevitably land on the best roaster for all your delicious coffee drinking needs.